FEMA funds firefighters’ efforts

BISMARCK, N.D. ( KXNET ) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Bear Den Fire and the Elk Horn Fires, burning in McKenzie County and on the Fort Berthold Reservation.

FEMA Region 8 Deputy Administrator Katherine Fox approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant for each fire after receiving the requests Sunday afternoon and “determined that each fire threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster.”

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and are made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

With the assistant grant authorizations, additional funding is made available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire for the mitigation of wildfire and related hazards, such as flood after fire or erosion. Eligible wildfire project types include defensible space measures, ignition-resistant construction, and hazardous fuels reduction.

At they time of this writing, the exact dollar amount of this aid package was not available.

Click on the links to learn more about FMAG s and the HMGP Post Fire .

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